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Friday, March 1, 2013

[Tools] Referendums

Referendums are perhaps the most important, effective and full instrument Active Citizenship to dispose of citizens. Through referendums, citizens gain the ability to constitute, revoke, or altered a law.The
word "referendum" comes from the Latin "referendu" ("for approval") has
become a participatory instrument present in virtually all democratic
systems of developed countries.A referendum may be mandatory or optional. In
the first case, the constitution stipulates that in cases where this
data should be convened in the second it occurs only as a certain organ
of the State decides to convene or when - the most advanced countries in
front of participatory democracy - there is a petition complaining
popular its realization. In Portugal and Brazil, the model is optional referendum. For a country like Switzerland, is mandatory.The
Swiss case is exemplary in this respect: the first referendums were
summoned here in the fifteenth century, in the cantons of Valais and
Grisons to adopt decisions taken at cantonal assemblies. Supreme
expression of the participatory character of Switzerland is also the
fact that all their constitutions - with the sole exception of 1801 -
were all approved in a referendum.In Switzerland, participation in popular assemblies (Landsgemeiden) of cantons is required leading to a penalty for failure. If
the convening of a referendum on changes to the constitution of cases
is practically mandatory, so even if legislation is completely
mandatory: all changes to the constitution - whether federal or cantonal
- must be countersigned. In
the ordinary laws of the use of the referendum mechanism is even more
common being countersigned most laws on taxation, the European Economic
Area, national security, traffic, quality of life and immigrants, etc..In the U.S., the referendums are an important part of the democratic exercise, practically since the time of independence. But
currently, the referendum is rarely used at national or federal being
used primarily within the states or local authorities. The themes that are required are typically fiscal, voting rights, public safety, public education and new technologies.Conclusion:Referenda
are probably the most important and useful tool that is available to
anyone who wants to implement a revolution in these participatory
democratic systems blocked and paralyzed today. People
to return a portion of the powers and freedoms that have chosen to
relocate to elected representatives and - often - disregard or forget
this basic duty of representation. They have
costs, certainly in time and financial order, but the Swiss example
proves that the term obtains savings and efficiency gains in the quality
of decisions. Thorough
and well worth its widespread use and amplified the scale and effects,
assuming effectively as the main weapon in this regeneration of
democracy that imposes itself today as necessary and imperative.Main Source:http://www.conteudojuridico.com.br/artigo,o-referendo-e-sua-importancia-na-democracia-participativa,41970.html